Skinner-Sleepwalkers

Dead Inside Records
2014

San Fransisco's power thrashers Skinner return with their first full-length release and for those that liked what they did on "The Enemy Within" let's just say that you're going to LOVE what it's store for you with "Sleepwalkers"! Everything from production to performance has been tweaked and while the song-writing was good on the band's 2012 EP it's even better here! Lead singer Norman Skinner brings his A Game to the party and, as usually thanks to his absolutely commanding presence on the mic, it's his voice that provides the driving force behind Skinner! The very cool and kick ass title cut, which can be previewed below at the link thanks to it's official video, is just one of several cuts to have made it's way over from the group's previously released EP (the others being "Miss Agony", "Hell in My Hands", "Breath the Lie" and "The Enemy Within"). But, in this context (with six other cuts and fleshed out into a full-length release) these numbers work better and reverberate more with the listener. While they have been slightly tweaked to get the most out of them it's more a matter of having re-recorded the cuts so that they flow perfectly with the new cuts and have the same amount of metallic impact. Of the new cuts "Orphans of Liberty" is superb (heavy) power metal with plenty of speed, but then again so is "Blind Lead Blind" (not so much speed-wise, but HEAVY-wise!) and "Guilt-Ridden". Meanwhile opener "Firebird's Lament" isn't much more then an intro in actuality, but "Bound" offers plenty of CRUNCH and STAYING POWER as it's bound (pun intended!) to stick around in your head for sometime afterwards! All told Skinner's first full-length album sounds great and it gets passing marks in all the necessary areas from song-construction to actual execution and for fans of Norman Skinner it's a must have! With that power thrashers would also do well to give "Sleepwalkers" a spin as it a great example of U.S. metal done right! Mostly it resides on the HEAVY power metal/borderline thrash side of the fence, but there's some splendid surges of speed metal within that simply cannot be overlooked! And truth be told that's why releases like "Sleepwalkers" are also such a joy to welcome into one's metal collection as they are releases that one could listen to any day of the week! Will it make my 2014, year end "Best Of" list then? Time will tell but all signs point towards that very possibility!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p00zG_H-2jY

Interview with Norman Skinner

Recently I had the absolute pleasure of talking with Norman Skinner. As the lead vocalist of both Skinner and Hellscream (two exceptional metal acts!) he brings a powerful set of lungs and a clear and demanding presence to the stage. If you have yet to read my reviews of both band's latest releases I've provided links at the bottom of this article. And finally I just want to thank Norman for taking the time out of his crazy busy schedule to chat about Skinner and life in general!

Andy-Could you briefly tell us about Skinner? Who's who these days as far as the line-up is concerned?

Norman-Definitely! This is easily the best combination of talent I have worked with to date. Also I need to add the most cohesive unit as everyone works well together and seamlessly. The band started with 3 of us founding SKINNER. Myself… Norman Skinner (Vocals), Robert Kolowitz (Guitars), & Jim Pegram (Bass). Jim took a short hiatus from the band during the time of our debut EP but has since returned to the line-up. We were the 3 former Imagika members that decided to move forward with a new band. The next addition was Robert’s son Grant Kolowitz (Guitars). Alfred San Miguel (Guitars) was next to join the ranks 1^st as a guest lead player on our EP “The Enemy Within” but soon after permanently as our third guitarist. The newest member is Noe Luna (Drums). He was the missing and final piece to the puzzle. I now believe we have a killer and hopefully long-term line-up.

Andy-You're a man of many hats Norman, Just how do you find the time for everything?

Norman-Honestly there are times when I feel I do not have time for everything. Ultimately it all comes down to prioritizing. I have a job & family. 2 full-time bands Skinner & Dire Peril and a couple projects Hellscream & Tramontane. I also do various guest vocals on albums and live performances which really keeps my plate full. I run a yearly Metal Show called “Screams of Metal” Festival and have just this month launched my own record label “Dead Inside Records”. Let’s just say I am passionate about Metal and must be a bit crazy!!

Andy-Your debut EP is straight-up METAL!!! Can we expect more of the same out of the new album?

Norman-Thank you so much!! This new album “Sleepwalkers” due out May 6^th is everything “The Enemy Within” was just taken up a notch. “The Enemy Within” in reality is simply a demo that we self-released to hold everyone over until the entire album was completed. All 4 songs were re-recorded along with a ton of new material so if you liked the EP you will love the full-length.

Andy-Any fave moments on the new album?

Norman- I love how the songs we originally recorded for the EP sound so much more epic on the new CD. Added tunes like Guilt-Ridden, Orphans of Liberty, & The Breathing Room are personal favorites off the CD. I can’t wait for everyone to hear them.

Andy-What does the rest of 2014 hold in store for you personally and for the band?

Norman-For Skinner we just released our 1^st music video for the song “Sleepwalkers” off our upcoming CD. We will be releasing a lyric video for “Orphans of Liberty” and most likely a full video for “The Breathing Room”. We have only 2-3 more songs to finish writing before we head back into the studio to begin recording our next untitled full-length release. Besides all the exciting things happening with Skinner I will be releasing 2 EP’s with Dire Peril titled “Queen of The Galaxy” & “Through Time And Space”. Dire Peril already has another full-length album written titled “Final Scenes For Forgotten Worlds” and we will most likely start tracking that at the end of the year. No news just yet but I be involved in a couple other projects this year… I’m always putting my fingers in something. Finally this year I plan to begin signing acts to my new label and growing it as much as I can.

Andy-Any parting shots? The mic is all yours Norman!

Norman- I just want to really thank anyone and everyone that has supported any of my musical endeavors. It’s no secret I love what I do and I love collaborating and sharing the adventure with as many fans\friends as possible am excited to see what the rest of this year holds. If you are a new band looking to sign with a startup label please send your submissions to deadinsiderecords@gmail.com. My team is currently accepting and reviewing all press kits.

Norman L. Skinner III
Metal Vocalist - Skinner \ Dire Peril \ Hellscream
CEO\COO - Dead Inside Records LLC.
(650) 515-1178

Official Websites:http://www.normanskinner.net
http://www.deadinsiderecords.com
FaceBook:https://www.facebook.com/normanskinnermetalvocalist
https://www.facebook.com/deadinsiderecords


Reverbnation:
http://www.reverbnation.com/normanskinner



Twitter:
https://twitter.com/NormanLSkinner3https://twitter.com/DeadInsideRecor



Youtube:http://www.youtube.com/user/Savascream

Review of Skinner's "The Enemy Within":
http://metalmark.blogspot.com/search?q=Skinner-The+Enemy+Within+

Review of Hellscream's "Made Immortal":
http://metalmark.blogspot.com/search?q=Hellscream-Made+Immortal+

Skinner-The Enemy Within

Self-Released/Independent
2013

Named after it's lead singer Norman Skinner, San Jose, California act Skinner was formed in 2010. Having seen power/thrash act Imagika call it a day, Norman scooped up some local talent and picked up where Imagika left off! With Skinner it's all about the metal. Heavy power metal that is! Heavy power metal that borders on thrash more often then not, but power metal all the same! On this 5-track EP, which was written and recorded during 2011 and (technically speaking) released in 2012 (with a wider release taking place in 2013 most likely (hence the date above) so that's why we'll roll with that date!), Norman Skinner and his band-mates* jump right into the pit from opener "Sleepwalkers" onwards! There's never a dull moment on "The Enemy Within" and with tracks like "Hell in My Hands" and "Breath the Lie" literately plunging right at you it's one fun ride! Speaking of "Breath the Lie", Alfred Luis San Miguel does a guest solo on the track with the results being nothing short of awesome! Actually, all three of the guitarists that appear on this 5-track EP do a stellar job and you can tell that Norman Skinner filled out this band's line-up with the best local musicians that he could find! With a full-length album due to be released sometime in the next few months (which I'll hopefully land my hands on!) "The Enemy Within" is a nice slab of U.S. power metal from one of heavy metal's hardest working front men!

*Robert and Grant Kolowitz-guitars 
  Elena Repetto-bass
  Noe Luna on drums